The Big Day

Today, other than being Sadie’s birthday, was Joe’s big day when our calves headed out to Nebraska. 

Yesterday was the last day Joe had to haul 450 pounds of grain to them. 

In the evening he got them into the lot near the barn.  

Then this morning, Mike helped with the loading and we had 3 other trailers haul them to the other side of town to be weighed and loaded onto the tractor trailer. 

We are 99 head lighter here now and a big load off Joe’s plate. 

 

Saddle Woes, or Whoa

I gave Sadie and Allie the saddle for Christmas.  

"It's a saddle Mimi, it's a saddle.  For what?"  Allie is so cute.  For Clyde of course. 

Saturday, the weather was beautiful, temperature in the 60's and no wind.  Allie and Sadie came over to ride Clyde in the new saddle.  It fit Clyde and I even found a 28 inch girth.  But the rings were pretty rusted and it was difficult to get attached.  The problem was more of the stirrup length.  This is as high as I could pull up the fender and as high as the holes could be punched. 

And it is a good 12 inches too long for Allie.  I did use the over the horse stirrups but they slid back and forth a little too much for my liking.   

But I think Allie appreciated having a horn to hold on to.  

However, she still did not want to trot.  

I don't know was was wrong with Sadie.  I think she was getting over a cold and not feeling her best.  She was being very contrary.  I told her it looked like she was trying to sit in a recliner.  But you can see the stirrup issue.  

The over the horn stirrups also set their legs too far forward.   By the time they get big enough to reach the stirrups they will have out grown Clyde.  

I even got on to try out the saddle.  I am pretty sure I could lower the stirrups enough to ride, but the stirrup is too small for my boot.  I have options.

1. return the saddle and try again (not a problem as I got it locally from a friend that said bring it back if      it doesn't work)

2. just continue to use the over the horn stirrups

3. teach them to ride without stirrups.  

4. remove the fenders and replace with more of a hunter type strap and stirrup.  

I may try option 4 before option 1.  But with the temperature now in the teens, I don't expect to do too much riding for a few days.  

 

Happy Birthday, Almost

With lots of love and family we celebrated Sadie's 5th birthday (2 days early).  After a meal at Cracker Barrel, her choice, we reconvened at my house for cake and presents.  

Sadie and Allie have had colds recently and no one wanted her blowing on the cake.  So she got 5 candles on a cupcake. 

She may have gotten more presents than Christmas.  A big hit was the special jewelry from Gigi. 

She did not get bongo drums.  Those are Joe's from Christmas.  

I think Allie knows that she will get to play with everything too.  Plus, her other grandmother brought her a big bag of gifts.  

Mike tried out the "wall walker" trying to get a spider web off of the ceiling for me.  

Linda and Ann helped Sadie was her "rescue" pet, a stuffy wrapped in a net that dissolved in water to reveal what kind of animal.  Then there was a lot of towel drying, blow drying and combing.  

But the most time was taken up pickle hunting.  I hid it really well this year.  

Virginia had set up a family survey and presented the results in a very professional and humorous format. 

Joe won, "who would last the longest without their phone".  Now that he has a new iPhone 16e, we will see if that holds true.  

More blow drying of the stuffy.  

And Matt was the pickle champ.  His persistence paid off and he was rewarded with a cereal box Spiderman watch. 

 

Handmade

I received two very special handmade gifts this year. 

Emily knitted this Sophie’s scarf. She said it is quite the rage. And she did it in pink, my favorite color. 

Then Virginia made this precious cross stitch nativity for me.  I immediately placed it on the mantle.  I am so glad they are seeing the value in handmade.  

And now I can finally reveal what I have been working on.  You might recall the goat I needle felted from a little kit I got at the Sheep and Goat festival.  Well, after that I decided to try my hand at needle felting a picture. 

I wanted to start simple so I chose to try to copy a picture my grandmother painted over 100 years ago.  I think it is a pretty good likeness. And my sister that I gave it to says she can’t stop looking at it. 

Then I tried something a little more complicated. 

This was a barn on my grandparents farm that blew down in the early 90’s. My needle felting was loosely based on this picture. I added the sheep because the sister I was giving it to raised sheep and got a master’s degree working with sheep.  Then I used a frame I had made years ago out of the wood from the barn. 

And I just couldn’t stop. I made this for my boss and another one with two sheep instead of the flowers for Virginia.   I definitely have a new hobby. 

 

Simple Request

We didn’t get Emily and Keiran this Christmas, but they did stop by for a few minutes on Tuesday.

I just wanted a nice family picture.  Virginia suggested we try Chat GPT.  So, Tuesday I took Keiran and Emily’s picture.

Then Christmas Day I took a photo of the rest of us.  Then I asked Chat GPT to merger the two.

From a distance it doesn’t look bad.  But zooming in, AI changes how we looked and our expressions. I asked again, specifying no facial changes.

How many mistakes can you count?  

Next, Virginia tried.  Now Emily and Keiran are squatting for some odd reason.

Her second try magically produced Keiran’s brother, Cord.  

Last try, Virginia went to the professional, her friend Jordan.  With her premium subscription to Canva, she was able to do what AI could not, give me a decent family picture.  

Thank you Jordan, you’re the best!

 

25 Days Of Christmas, Day 25!

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

12 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

25 Days Of Christmas, Day 24

I have spent all month getting everything ready. I think it’s time.  

Looks like we are ready for Santa. 

Or, maybe he has already been here. 

 

25 Days Of Christmas, Day 23

Christmas decorating inspiration can come from just about anywhere.  But one of my most common spots for ideas is the thrift store. 

I have a photo shelf in the hallway to my bedroom where I display records.  Sometimes record covers with horses and sometimes records from my childhood. 

But at Christmas I change it out to Santas, angels or nativities. 

I have collected them from thrift stores over the years. Sometimes I just like the cover sometimes I like the music.  Some Santa’s are creepy. 

Some are fake. 

And some look, well, drunk. 

Then there is Classic Christmas. 

And finally, unexpected. Who would think of Colonel Sanders as Santa. Well, it is cheap artwork anyway.